


Motif Development

by VampireNaomi



Category: Lupin III
Genre: Getting Together, M/M, Oral Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2020-04-24 15:54:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19176541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VampireNaomi/pseuds/VampireNaomi
Summary: A surprise job offer leads to something much more than Tickey imagined or asked for.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I originally intended this as a one-shot, but I kept getting more ideas and decided to make it multi-chapter instead.
> 
> Brief mentions of past Lupin/Albert all through this, but not enough to tag the pairing.

“Thank you so, so much! I have no idea what I’d have done if you’d said no! You’ve saved my daughter’s wedding!”

Tickey smiled and let the hotel manager blab and lather him in thank-yous. Honestly, it should have been the other way around. He hadn’t had a lot of jobs that month, so being asked to sub for a wedding photographer who’d caught a stomach bug was the best thing that could have happened. He was even getting a room at the hotel to sweeten the deal. 

He’d made a show of checking the calendar on his phone and considering if he could take the job. It was better to let the manager think he had a busy schedule and it was inconvenient but doable to squeeze the wedding in. He’d remember him and hopefully recommend him to someone later.

Weddings weren’t his usual thing, but he liked observing the happy atmosphere - and the occasional juicy drama - as a complete outsider. A slice of good cake and some drinks towards the end made it tolerable to have people yank him around the reception to take photos of their kids, spouses and pets, as if they were the main attraction.

Finally, the manager pressed a key card into his hand and told him to have a great stay. Tickey guessed he’d spend the day wandering around town in hopes of finding something interesting he could put on his Instagram. It was two weeks since the last update. He had a bad habit of letting everything slow down at the same time. If there was no work, he didn’t feel like doing anything else, either.

The hotel was fancier than the places where he normally stayed. When he’d arrived for the conference gig in the morning, he’d gotten a kick out of a little make-believe that he was actually there as a guest. He guessed it paid to be an optimist.

As he was walking down the hallway and looking for the right door, a man wearing a suit and glasses exited one of the rooms and began heading his way. Tickey thought nothing of it at first, but then the man stopped in his tracks and stared at him.

Tickey tried to remember if he knew him from anywhere. There was something distantly familiar about his face, but he couldn’t recall a name or a place. He met so many people that it was impossible to keep track of them all. All he could hope for was that it was someone he’d been introduced to on a job and not one of his disappointing one-night stands.

“Can I help you?” he asked.

“Sorry. For a while I thought you looked like someone I know,” the man said. Tickey was thinking of a good joke to crack about how he had a hunch they’d met, too, but the man had already turned his back on him and kept heading downstairs.

So much for that, Tickey thought as he slid his key card through the gap to open the door. Hotels were a bad place to get to know new people. Everyone was there just because they had to sleep. All the things they’d come to town for were always somewhere else.

His room was smaller than he’d expected, and there was barely any space between the bed and the small desk by its side. He didn’t like feeling cramped, so he figured he’d just sit on the bed with his laptop if he wanted to get any work done. Editing the pictures from the morning’s conference would have to wait until he was back home in Paris, but he could at least choose the ones he was going to show to his client and send a few e-mails.

He put down his camera bag and went to take a look out the window. There was a nice view to a park across the street, but no balcony. Too bad. He’d have to go outside to have a smoke.

“Nothing’s ever perfect,” Tickey muttered and fell on his back on the bed. The ceiling had no decorative pattern, but there was a stain that made him wonder if someone in the room upstairs had left the shower running in the past.

It was tempting to kick off his shoes and have a nap, but he didn’t want to waste the afternoon. It was only his second time in town, and he didn’t know when he’d be back. The train ride from Paris was five hours. He hated having to sit down for so long.

He went back to the window to see if it opened. It was blocked so that he could only get a narrow opening, perhaps to discourage people from trying to use the window for smoking. Dark clouds were gathering in the sky, and the scent of approaching rain hit him when a breeze came in. If he wanted to take a look around, now was the time.

It was a warm afternoon, but he grabbed his jacket anyway. He liked the way he looked when he draped it over his arm or shoulder. After a moment of consideration, he left his camera in his room in case he was caught in the rain.

The hotel was located a good distance from downtown, so the street wasn’t busy. Most of the other buildings close by where other hotels or apartment blocks with the occasional restaurant or café on the first floor. He didn’t read the menus but noted the one that had the most interesting chalk artwork on its daily specials sign and decided to go there once it was time for dinner.

The first thing he wanted was a smoke. He’d arrived by train in the morning and spent three hours taking photos at the local wood craftsmen’s awards ceremony at the hotel. He was trying to cut down a little these days because his sisters always nagged at him when he visited them and hung around their kids with the smell of smoke clinging to him, but he was at his limit.

Old trees that looked like they hadn’t been trimmed in years stood along the gravel paths and cast a shadow over the park. Under them, there were grimy park benches, as if someone had wanted to make sure anyone stopping for a rest wouldn’t get any sunlight. Tickey liked open spaces where he could lie under the sky and watch the life around him. Even though there were people about, the park felt solitary. The sounds of conversation and laughter drowned under all the green.

He was looking for a spot where he wouldn’t bother anyone when he realized he wasn’t the only one having a smoke break. The man from the hotel was sitting on one of the benches and reading something on his phone with a lit cigarette between his fingers. From this distance, Tickey could watch him without making it obvious that he was staring.

The nagging feeling that he’d seen him before was back. Though he might regret it later, he decided to satisfy his curiosity or else he’d be thinking about him for the rest of his stay. Tickey took out a cigarette and approached the man, making a show of patting his pockets.

“I think I left my lighter in my room. Some help?” he asked and brought his cigarette closer like he was offering his hand to be kissed. He’d look like an idiot if he was told no, but small risks made life interesting.

The man gave him a calculating look and then reached into the pocket of his suit that was lying in his lap. He didn’t look so stuffy when he wasn’t wearing it, and Tickey would have liked to pull off his tie, too. Maybe poke those glasses askew. 

The man offered him a light, and Tickey drew his lungs full and savored the feeling.

“What a bother that there’s no smoking at the hotel. The rules are too strict these days. But I guess that makes it easier to quit,” he said.

“You don’t look like someone who wants to quit.”

“Oh, you got me,” Tickey said. “Can I sit down? I want to ask you something.”

“Be my guest.”

“You said I remind you of someone. I can’t help but feel we’ve met before.”

The man’s lips crooked around his cigarette in a way that Tickey couldn’t decide if it was cute or not, and he put his phone into his pocket.

“I doubt it. Now that I’ve gotten a better look, you aren’t that much like him after all. I’m good with faces, but I can’t remember you. Maybe you’ve just seen me in the news.”

“The news? Are you a celebrity or something?”

The man snorted and began to stub out his cigarette on the side of the trash can that stood by the bench.

“Hardly. I work for the Judicial Police.”

Tickey didn’t really pay attention to the kind of big cases that the DCPJ handled, but having it spelled out for him made him remember a party where one of his friends had showed the rest of them a video clip from some press conference he’d attended. The speaker was gay, he’d said, and they’d had fun rating his looks and speculating if he’d be a good date.

He couldn’t say that was how he knew him. Tickey didn’t know which was more embarrassing, that he did that kind of thing with his friends or that he recalled saying Albert d’Andrésy looked like a weasel and that he’d probably get more pleasure out of eating English food than sleeping with him.

He might have to update his opinion a little. People in press conferences didn’t get to dangle cigarettes from their mouths and smile the way Albert just had.

“Oh, yeah, the news. That’s got to be it. I actually remember your name now.”

Come on, ask for mine, Tickey thought. It’d be fun to go back home and tell his friends that he’d actually met this guy and hooked up with him. Even if all he could squeeze out of him was some conversation over drinks, it’d be a good story to tell.

“Then it’s only fair if you give me yours,” Albert said, and Tickey could have whooped. 

“Tickey Pasco. So, what brings you to town? Are you going to be busy tonight?”

“What’s this? Did I accidentally walk into a local cruising hotspot?”

“Would that be a bad thing?”

“Perhaps not, but I actually do have plans for later.”

Tickey guessed that meant he’d be having dinner alone. With how lethargic his life had been recently, he hadn’t gone out with anyone in a while, and he’d let himself get a little too excited. But nobody liked people who were too pushy, and knowing when to drop it so that you didn’t look pathetic was an art.

“Oh, well. Can’t fault a guy for trying,” he said and leaned back on the bench.

“But,” Albert said and took his phone out again to pull up some website, “you’re welcome to join me if this is in any way interesting to you.”

Tickey only looked at it long enough to see that it was some kind of a small museum and made up his mind. Even if it didn’t lead anywhere, he’d at least get to have an interesting afternoon and see exactly the kind of local flavor he’d been after.

“So, you’re the type that likes to go on a date first. I can roll with that,” he said.

Almost an hour later, Tickey wished he had paid a little more attention before saying yes. Not only was the museum on the other side of town and they had to walk fifteen minutes from the nearest bus stop but it turned out to be little more than a former private residence filled to the brim with gadgets and odd knick-knacks. He liked art, and he’d been looking forward to showing off his knowledge of colors and light and shadow.

“What is all this?” he asked as he unfolded the booklet he’d grabbed at the reception.

“You’ve never heard of Claude Luron?”

“No, and this brochure doesn’t list any noteworthy accomplishments. Why’s there an entire museum about him?” Usually, Tickey expected to find this kind of places in small towns and villages that were desperate enough for visitors that they put any local looney on a pedestal so they could sell entrance tickets and cheap souvenirs.

“I think his work is interesting, even if it serves little to no practical purpose. And sometimes failure is more enlightening that success,” Albert said.

Apart from them, there was only one person looking at the items, an old man with a cane. Tickey spent more time watching him than the first few items on display and was half-way across the room until he realized Albert was still at the start.

“Are you actually reading all the plaques?” he asked when he went back.

“What’s the point of coming here if you don’t?”

They were never getting out of there, Tickey thought in dismay. His approach to museums was to look around until he found something that caught his eye and then spend some time on that. He couldn’t imagine stopping to read every bit of information that was there. 

“Wake me up when you’re ready,” he said. There were no seats in the room, and he was just about to lean against the wall when Albert grabbed his arm and stopped him.

“That wall has an alarm system because of that painting up there. Touch it and we’ll have to explain ourselves to the receptionist and will probably get kicked out.”

“What? You can tell?”

“They didn’t hide the sensors very well. I saw them as soon as we came in. There’s one on the side of the frame of the picture and another under that fake light switch. The painting is the only thing here that’s actually valuable, so I assume that’s why they bothered.”

“It’s a good thing you’re a cop because otherwise I’d think you walked in here to rob the place,” Tickey said. His words brought a smirk on Albert’s face. Tickey would have otherwise congratulated himself on a good line, but he got the feeling Albert was enjoying a private joke he wasn’t about to share. It made Tickey itch to see any other emotion on his features.

He decided to humor him for a while and read the information plaques alongside him. He grew bored quickly as the dates, names and events were all unfamiliar to him and he couldn’t connect them with anything he already knew. He started watching Albert instead, stealing glances at him whenever he was sure he wasn’t looking.

Tickey couldn’t say he had a type, but he hit it off well with people he got to know through work. His previous relationship had been with a graphics designer for a website that bought his photos sometimes. It was so easy to slide into things when there was enough common ground. Albert was attractive in a sort of humdrum way, but what could he talk about with a cop? Maybe it was better _not_ to talk and just go with the flow because chances were that their world views were entirely different.

“So, like what you see?” Albert asked.

Tickey turned his eyes down to the glass case and the items inside it. “What? Oh, sure. That’s a cute watch.”

“Spare me. I can tell you don’t care about it. It’s not even a watch, which you would know if you hadn’t been staring at me the whole time.”

“Fine, you’re more interesting than this stuff. But that really looks like a watch to me.”

“That’s the point, but it doesn’t have a working clockwork mechanism inside it. Instead, when you press the button on the side, a needle pops out, and you can shove it into your enemy’s throat.” Albert imitated the motion and pressed his wrist against Tickey’s neck.

“What kind of a person comes up with that?” Tickey asked. He reached up to rub the spot Albert had touched after he pulled back his hand. “And I hope this doesn’t mean you’re into some kind of torture games. Because if so, count me out.”

Albert let out a bark of laughter that got them a disapproving look and a cough from the old man.

“Don’t start getting ideas like that, or you’ll be disappointed by how tenuous I can be,” Albert said.

“So, the interest in weird killing machines is work-related?”

“It’s a hobby. I like things with gears.”

That was a little less ominous, especially after Tickey realized there was far more to the museum than the exhibition of gadgets for self-defence. He had a good time listening to the recorded samples of Luron’s music boxes and got a kick out of seeing his attempts at creating a telescope that was also a cigarette case.

He could imagine someone coming up with those ideas, but why anyone bothered to make them reality was beyond him. Maybe some people never stopped being children in that way, he thought after they’d stood ten minutes in front of a box full of broken pocket watches that visitors were encouraged to tinker with.

“Can you make that work?” he asked and pointed at the watch Albert was turning over in his hands.

“Not like this,” Albert said with disappointment in his voice, clicked the watch shut and put it back in the box. “I have an excellent tool kit at home that could do the trick.”

If he really had tools for this kind of thing, he had to be more into it than Tickey had first thought. It was kind of endearing, he decided, and not that weird compared to the hobbies people had in his circle of friends. Nevertheless, he was glad when Albert said he was done.

It was a little early for dinner, so he suggested they stop somewhere for coffee instead. They were half-way to the bus stop where they could catch a ride back to the area with their hotel when Tickey felt the first drops of rain on his nose.

An instant later, it was like someone had turned on a shower. He stopped in his tracks in shock as the water fell on them, not in droplets but streams. It didn’t matter if they went back to the museum or continued towards the bus stop - they’d be left drenched either way.

“This way,” Albert said and ran across the street to seek shelter under a brick alcove on the side of the building there. Tickey hadn’t even noticed it, but he was glad to follow and get away from the rain.

“Good thing I didn’t bring my camera. I’d hate to turn down my gig tomorrow because I got it full of water,” he said.

“You’re into photography?”

“It’s what I do. I had a job at the hotel this morning, and they asked me to stay for a wedding tomorrow. Someone got sick, and they needed a replacement. Otherwise I’d be on my way back to Paris right now.”

“Sounds like you got lucky.”

“I guess. They shoved me into the mangiest room they have, but it’s still nicer than my apartment.” Tickey glanced at the expensive suit Albert was wearing, now blotted with water. “I bet luxury hotels are an everyday thing for someone like you, though.”

“Maybe these days, but I slept in my car for three months when I was younger.”

Tickey bit back a joke about teenage rebellion and self-discovery. He’d look like an insensitive dumbass if it turned out his parents had actually kicked him out or something like that. Tickey had had the good fortune that he’d never had to worry about what his family would say, and he’d put his foot in his mouth a few times when he’d been younger and hadn’t yet realized how bad some people had it.

Instead, he decided to focus on how Albert had pushed his glasses up to his forehead and was looking something up on his phone.

“Can you see like that? I thought you were far-sighted?”

“I had laser surgery years ago.”

“Huh, can I have a look?” Tickey reached for the glasses and, when there was no objection, took them to try them on. True enough, the lenses were just regular glass. He couldn’t help but smile as he put them back on Albert’s head. “Just a fashion statement, then?”

Albert made an annoyed click with his tongue. “They make me look older. That’s practical at my job.”

“Well, I’m glad you don’t really need them.”

“Oh?”

“They won’t get in the way later, and you’ll still be able to see my face.”

“My, aren’t you confident in yourself?”

“Don’t I have reason to be? Why else would you still talk to me even though I wasn’t impressed by your choice of museum?”

“Maybe I’m looking up the number to call myself a cab and get out of here?”

“I know you aren’t.”

He was still close enough that he estimated it wouldn’t take much more than leaning in a little to capture a kiss. However, when Albert caught him moving from the corner of his eye, he looked up from his phone at the exact wrong moment so that Tickey ended up planting a smooch on his chin instead.

“That was a bad start,” he said, embarrassed. “Let me try again.”

Albert slipped his phone into his pocket and went along with him this time. It wasn’t the best kiss of Tickey’s life, but he was freezing in his wet clothes, so the warm lips and mouth sent a heated shiver down his body. He needed more and decided to take the sound that left Albert as a sign to keep going. Thunder was rumbling right above them, barely audible under the heavy rain.

“I looked. There’s… a hotel… right around the corner,” Albert said in sprinkled words whenever Tickey gave him a chance to talk. Wanting to hear what he had in mind, Tickey moved his attention down to Albert’s throat, careful not to leave marks. Normally, he liked seeing his partner’s skin reddened by what he did, but he had no idea where Albert had to be the next day.

“Or we could go back to our hotel,” Albert went on.

“That’ll take too long. It was a mistake to come this far.”

Albert chuckled against his ear, his breath hot. “I didn’t realize you’d be that impatient.”

“This is what I wanted to do since the start. Would you have skipped the museum for me if I’d asked?”

“For a complete stranger? Don’t make me laugh!”

“You have my name and job. That’s more than I can say about some of my other hook-ups.”

“Well, I’m happy you have such an exciting life, but I’ve never been in a position that allowed me to be _that_ adventurous. There are some precautions that -”

“If you mean condoms, we passed a corner store on the way here.”

Albert let out a sigh that made Tickey certain that wasn’t what he’d meant, but he didn’t care. He saw no reason why two people who found each other alright shouldn’t go for it, as long as everyone was on the same page about what they wanted. Visiting the museum together absolutely counted as a date, so they’d put in more effort to get to know each other than if they’d met at a bar.

Someone holding a newspaper over his head ran past them and made Albert take a step back, like he’d just remembered they were in public.

“Let’s see about that hotel.”

They stopped at the corner store on the way. Tickey offered to get the condoms and bought himself a new pack of cigarettes and an umbrella alongside them. He had to make it back to his hotel room in time for the wedding, and he didn’t want to show up looking like a drowned rat.

The hotel wasn’t as nice as the one where they were staying, but maybe that was why nobody gave them weird looks as they showed up in wet clothes, carrying no luggage and requesting extra towels. Some other time Tickey might have thought it was a waste to pay for a room when they had two already booked elsewhere, but right now there were only two things on his mind. First, a warm shower. Then, continuing what they’d started.

The bathroom was too small for two people or else Tickey would have suggested they shower together. He was as quick as he could, even if it would have been lovely to enjoy the hot water for longer, and got out while still drying himself on a towel, not bothering to hide anything.

Albert was busy hanging up their damp clothes on all available doors and pieces of furniture. He’d taken off his jacket, shirt and socks, but was still wearing his pants. Maybe he was the kind of guy who liked to leave the best for last, Tickey thought. He hoped he wasn’t shy. He had no patience for that right now.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Like this, there’s a chance they’ll dry at least a little before we have to leave. Have you got something else to wear at the wedding tomorrow?”

“The hotel manager said they’d let me borrow something. If you drop by the bar at the right moment, you might see me looking really smart. Of course, I think I look the best like this,” Tickey said and let himself fall on his back on the bed. It was wide enough for two to get comfortable, but he wondered if they’d stick around long enough to enjoy it. He liked some intimacy after sex, even with strangers, but some guys barely got their pants back on before running out the door.

There was a kettle and some tea bags and instant coffee in the room. When Albert went to the bathroom, Tickey thought it was to take a shower. Instead, he filled the kettle and turned it on. Tickey got up with an annoyed roll of his eyes and approached him.

“I can’t believe you’re making tea at a time like this,” he said and pressed himself against Albert’s still half-clothed frame. Tickey leaned into another kiss and slid his hands down to unbuckle Albert’s belt. The clink was one of the most erotic sounds he knew, a promise of something almost in his grasp.

“We should first -” Albert said against this lips but made no effort to turn his head aside or push him away. 

“I’ll warm you up.”

A throaty sigh left him as Tickey pulled down his pants and gave him a shove to make him sit on the bed. The frame creaked under the sudden weight and got Tickey to wonder if the people next door would be able to hear them later. He hoped so.

He kicked Albert’s pants into a wet, crumpled heap on the floor. Before the other could object, he slid down between his legs and ran his hands up his thighs, from the knees to his hips, and slipped his thumbs under the waistband of his underwear.

“Is there anything you especially like?”

“Just do it the way you want.”

Albert reached for the pack of condoms on the nightstand and took one out, but Tickey snatched it from his fingers.

“I like to do this. Just get yourself hard for me first.” He rose up to his knees to kiss Albert again while pulling down his underwear. They were pressed together close enough that he felt Albert grab himself between them. He made small sounds into Tickey’s mouth, and Tickey found himself thinking that he had a nice voice when he was using it for something other than being smug.

“Ready?” he murmured and felt around until he found Albert’s hand and guided it away from his cock. He smiled into the last kiss he gave him and pulled away. With practiced ease, he took out the condom and rolled it onto Albert’s length. He pushed his knees further apart to have more room and glanced up to enjoy the look of arousal on Albert’s face.

Not enough, he thought. He wanted to make this man come apart at the seams.

All of Tickey’s boyfriends had said he was great at giving head. He liked it enough that his partner didn’t have to do much when it was his turn to get him off. There was something about getting another person to unwind and feel good that went straight to his dick and got him hard even if nobody was touching him.

He rolled his thumb over the tip of the cock in his hands before lowering his head to get it into his mouth. The rubbery taste on his tongue was less than pleasant, and he tried to push it to the back of his mind. The corner store hadn’t had any flavored condoms, but he didn’t like most of them anyway. Ideally, he would have liked to do this without any.

Albert let out a shuddering sigh when he circled the head with his tongue before taking in more. Tickey moved slowly, retreating every time he got a new moan out of Albert. He could go deeper, but he wanted to leave that as a nice surprise for later. After a while, there was enough spit that he felt comfortable putting his hands to use and spreading the slick to the base.

Tickey spent a while toying with him, stroking down the full length with his fingers, sucking and licking the head, careful to keep Albert where it was good but not enough. He listened to his breathing, heavier and irregular now, and felt great satisfaction when he could make it hitch and grow louder when he did something new or sucked harder.

Albert’s thighs quivered around him, and when Tickey looked up to see his face, there was a flush on his cheeks and his mouth was slightly open. When he saw Tickey looking, he quickly closed it and smirked down at him, but the brief moment had been enough. Tickey spread his own legs a little to get more comfortable with his growing hardness. It was a struggle not to touch himself, but that just turned him on more.

A hand came down to rest on the back of his head, not forceful but clearly a sign to get back to it. Tickey locked eyes with him, smiled as well as he could with his lips wrapped around a cock, and plunged to take more of it until he reached his limit. The sound that was torn from Albert was a high-pitched yelp, and after that sudden loss of control, Tickey wasn’t about to let him have it back.

One thing he liked about his short hair was that nobody could pull at it to tell him what to do. Albert tried, but there wasn’t enough for him to grasp, and after a moment of his fumbling, Tickey reached up to remove his hand. That only left him with his voice to show his pleasure. Every moan from him was exciting, made him move faster, use his tongue more. He could feel it in his mouth when Albert was about to come, and in the next moment his hips jerked and Tickey had to pull back or risk gagging when Albert shoved in deeper than he could take.

He reached for a towel to wipe his face clean of his own saliva and flashed Albert a charming smile.

“Good enough?” 

Albert bent down to answer him with a lazy kiss. It wasn’t the nicest feeling on Tickey’s lips after so much friction, but he rose to his knees to meet it and bask in the feeling that he’d been great and someone was pleased with him.

“My turn,” Albert said, his voice a purr.

They didn’t make it much past putting on the condom and Albert grabbing a hold of his dick before Tickey was done. He laughed at the dismayed look on Albert’s face and pulled him on the bed with him.

“Sorry. I just had too much fun earlier. Give me a while, and let’s try again, if you want,” he said.

“If you knew this was going to happen, shouldn’t I have gone first?”

“I’m not half as good at it if I’ve already gotten off. I didn’t want you to think I can’t do it right.”

It was a little awkward to lie in bed with someone he’d only just met, so Tickey got up, grabbed a cigarette and went to open the window. It was still raining outside, but not as heavily as before. He could no longer hear thunder and wondered if the storm had passed them without him noticing while he’d been on his knees on the floor.

The room smelled like previous guests had been smoking inside, so he didn’t feel too bad about lighting a cigarette and leaning outside. Rain hit him in the face and shoulders, but it was a nice way to clear his head.

They were on the top floor, so the sound of the water hitting the roof was clearly audible, a steady drum. Tickey was half-way through his cigarette when Albert came to join him and nudged him aside so he had some space by the window, too. His skin was startlingly warm against his, and Tickey pressed himself closer without even thinking about it.

Albert took the cigarette from him.

“Can I call you some time when we’re back in Paris?” he asked.

Tickey spent a moment wondering if he wanted to see this man again. He found he didn’t feel that strongly either way.

“That’s what you ask _after_ you’ve sucked me off. What am I supposed to base my answer on right now?”

Albert coughed at the smoke he’d just inhaled when he couldn’t hold back a laugh. They finished the cigarette together and closed the window. The water in the kettle was hot, and having coffee in bed without having to wait was a bigger luxury than Tickey had realized.


	2. Chapter 2

It took only two days to get a message from Albert, asking if he could invite him to that meal they’d never had the time for during their first meeting. Tickey rolled his eyes at how fast he was making a move, but he felt amused and smug. It was nice when guys ran after him. 

He was ready to go any time, but he waited an hour to reply and said Albert could pick the place.

Right after, he wondered if that had been a mistake. Albert probably had money. What if he took him to a place where the starters cost more than what Tickey made in two weeks? It’d be embarrassing to admit he couldn’t afford it, and he didn’t want to let a casual fling pay for his food. It might make it look like he was interested in something more permanent.

Or taking advantage of a wealthier guy, which wasn’t his style and sounded like too much work to be fun. He’d rather suck his dates dry in another way.

Oh, well, he thought as he pocketed his phone and keys. He’d come up with some excuse if it looked like they were going to a place beyond his price range. He could always say he’d gotten food poisoning there before and didn’t want to go back.

To his relief, the place Albert suggested was one he knew and went to sometimes when he had enough time to sit down for his lunch. His mornings tended to be busy, so he’d developed a bad habit of snacking through the day. Dinner was his only proper meal, and he always tried to make time for it.

The restaurant was casual enough that he didn’t have to wear anything special. He was there first and had five minutes to study the menu before Albert showed up. He wasn’t late, but he walked in hurried steps like he was doing his best to make sure he arrived at the time he’d said and not a moment after.

“You don’t have to make a good first impression anymore,” Tickey said and handed him his menu.

“I don’t have a lot of time. I’m on my lunch break, and I didn’t realize it’d be this hard to find parking space.”

There was something endearingly earnest about that, like he’d been in such a hurry to see him again that he’d grabbed the first opportunity without bothering to think if it was convenient. And yet he didn’t seem to be aware of his own eagerness and was reading the menu with a neutral, even bored expression.

“You came by car? That’s your problem right there. There’s no need to drive in Paris. And it’s pretty wasteful.”

Albert didn’t lift his eyes. “Well, it’s a good thing you said we’re past first impressions, since I guess that would have been a minus point?”

“That’d depend on what kind of a car you have. If it’s cool, I could let it go.”

“Good looks make anything okay?”

“I don’t need a car, so I can have shallow criteria when I pick a favorite, right? That goes for all unnecessary luxuries.”

“Like who you have flings with?”

Tickey just smiled and took a sip of his water. At this point, pretty much all they knew about each other was what they looked like and that their rendezvous had been fun enough that they wanted to repeat it. It didn’t get much more shallow than that, but wasn’t that how most relationships started?

In fact, that could lead to problems later if he didn’t set some things straight.

“Good enough for me,” he said. “I should make it clear that I’m not looking for a relationship right now. Just something casual that’s easy to end when one of us gets bored.”

“That’s fine.”

That was easier than expected, Tickey thought in relief. It wasn’t that he objected to long-term relationships on principle, but since his work life alternated between hectic and non-existent, he found it better when his love life was flexible. Finding time and energy for someone regularly and being able to make compromises took effort. That was why he and his previous boyfriend had decided to break up - spending time together had just become another chore in their calendars.

“Do you have regular hours? It’s just paperwork and sitting in meetings, right? It sounds like any other office job, especially if you can’t even decide how long your lunch break is.”

The look Albert gave him was mildly amused. “If you want to talk about my job, you need to book an appointment for an interview and submit the questions first.”

“Oh, I get it. Confidential information and all that. I bet you’d get fired if you blabbed secrets to your dates. Has a journalist ever tried to hit on you?”

“Let’s talk about your job instead. How did the wedding go?”

It had been great, as far as weddings were concerned. The newlyweds had been laid-back and fun, he’d gotten to sample the food and wine and retire to his room once all the main events were over. The couple was more than understanding that since he’d jumped in to cover for someone at the last minute, he couldn’t have their photos ready immediately. It had been a dream job.

“If every wedding was that nice, I’d do nothing else. But when something goes wrong, it’s always a disaster. One of my friends is a wedding planner and knows a lot of horror stories. I don’t need that kind of stress.”

They were half-way into the meal when Tickey realized he was doing most of the talking. He talked about his job, what kind of movies he liked, and the interesting article he’d read that morning. It was meaningless chatter to keep the mood relaxed. Albert reacted to what he said with acknowledgements and questions, but he didn’t say much about himself.

Maybe he was a guarded personality, but those types didn’t usually jump straight to bed with people they’d met at a park. Tickey couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed. Just because they weren’t going to start dating, it didn’t mean that he didn’t want to know anything about him.

“I get that you can’t talk about your job, but come on, is there nothing else? Do you have any hobbies besides weird gadgets?”

“I don’t have a lot of spare time. Even less now if we’re going to see each other every now and then. I’ll have to drop something else.”

“Like what?”

“Maybe cooking. I hate it, and I’m terrible at it anyway. You can be my excuse to eat out more often.”

“Oh, but that’s a problem. I like cooking, but I can’t stand getting up in the morning. How are we ever going to have breakfast in bed?”

“We’ll just have to go to a hotel with room service.”

At first, Tickey was sure that Albert was being serious, and he was about to snap that if they were going to keep things that impersonal, they might just as well end it already. He didn’t want to slink into a hotel every time like they had something to hide. Then he saw the self-satisfied crook of his mouth and realized he was just waiting for when he’d notice he was messing with him.

That could get old fast. He knew from experience that he already had one way to knock that smirk off his face, but he needed to figure out another - one he could do in public.

“Oh, sure, if you’re paying,” Tickey said and smiled as sunnily as he could.

“If something like that is a deal-breaker, I’m sure we can reach a compromise. I can get up to heat up something you’ve made the previous evening.”

“Leftovers. How’s that for a romantic mood?” Tickey muttered, leaning his cheek into his knuckles. This was getting too meticulous for his liking.

“Good enough for something casual with no strings attached, no?”

Tickey sighed and decided it was a good thing they weren’t trying for anything long-term. But maybe he was a little too used to getting pampered. His last boyfriend had baked his own bread at home. Maybe he should lower his standards a notch or two.

“But I can make pretty good coffee,” Albert said.

“Oh? Do you grind the beans yourself?”

“What do you take me for? Obviously.”

“I’m just saying it has to be damn good coffee to beat what I used to get when I was...” Tickey drifted off, not sure if he wanted to talk about his ex with Albert. He didn’t need to know, and Tickey had learned the hard way that some guys didn’t like to be compared to old flames.

He didn’t usually mind. If it was in his favor, it boosted his ego. If not, it fed the competitive spark in him that made life interesting.

Thankfully, he didn’t have to come up with anything to add because that was when the waiter arrived with their food. Tickey took note of what Albert had ordered - vegetable soup and a sandwich, which were both so mundane that he was a little surprised. Albert struck him as the kind of guy who buttered his toast with caviar.

“Are you allergic to anything?” he asked.

“No, but shellfish gives me hives.”

“That sounds like an allergy.”

“I just hate it. Why do you ask?”

Tickey rolled his eyes at him. “What do you think? How else am I going to make anything when you come over? Or are you worried I’m going to poison you?”

“It was a little random how you approached me out of nowhere at that park. It wouldn’t surprise me to find out you’re an assassin sent by some criminal syndicate.”

“Maybe you should have thought of that before going to that hotel with me.”

“I did. I just decided it was worth it.”

“Can I read that as you being ready to risk death to sleep with me? That’s pretty flattering.”

“There was never a risk. I know many ways to defend myself.”

Tickey thought back to the museum where Albert had shown him the watch that could turn into a weapon and wondered if the one he was wearing right now was exactly like it. The infuriatingly smug smirk on his face suggested yes, or at least that he wanted him to think so. Tickey couldn’t remember if he’d ever met a man who could be this pleased with himself all the time.

All the more fun to pull the rug from under his feet.

“Oh, Albi, that’s what I love about you,” he said and reached over the table to caress his hand.

There was a loud clink as Albert dropped his spoon and pulled his hand away, a startled look on his face and appearing like he needed all his self-control to stay seated and not run out of the restaurant. Tickey revelled in the confusion and embarrassment that had replaced his smile.

“That worked better than I expected.”

“What do you think you’re doing?” Albert demanded, his voice an angry whisper.

“I just had to get rid of that grin that makes you look like you think you’re the smartest person in the world. Hasn’t anyone ever told you it makes you look like an insufferable bastard?”

Albert picked up his spoon and put it into his soup like he was going to continue eating, but instead he moved it around and glared at it.

“Plenty of times.”

Tickey waited to see if he was going to elaborate, but Albert never did.

“Sorry, I was just kidding. Did I hit a sore spot?”

“It’s nothing. You surprised me.” 

Their conversation never got back on the right track after that, and Tickey wondered if he’d completely blown it. He couldn’t see what he’d done that was so bad it had clearly ruined Albert’s mood. The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he felt, so he was glad when Albert glanced at his watch and said he had to hurry back to work.

“I guess we’ll be in touch,” Tickey said as Albert was leaving, and it made him stop and give him a regretful look.

“Can I come over in the evening?”

“I don’t know. I might be busy. I’ll let you know.”

Tickey’s full intention was not to send any kind of message, but as he went back home and started going through the wedding photos, seeing everyone so happy and smiling evaporated some of the annoyance that was hanging over him. There was no need to be this passive-aggressive.

He sent Albert a message that he was welcome, then started to bring some order into his little studio apartment, at least enough to clear the couch and make it look like there was a designated working area on one side, rather than complete chaos everywhere. He got a pot of vegetable stew going since it was something he could leave alone while he did some work. It was a while since he’d last done so many chores, and seeing the result was satisfying. By the time Albert arrived, he no longer cared about his joke not landing.

It was clear Albert did, however. He pushed a nice bottle of wine into his hands upon coming in.

“Just in case you’re mad at me.”

“I’m not, but I’ll still take the wine.” Tickey put it down on the table he was setting and waited, but Albert was busy inspecting his cameras and wasn’t even looking at him. “What about you?”

Albert turned around, looking confused. “What do you mean?”

“Mad at me. Something I did was bothering you. Was it the pet name or the hand holding?”

“Oh, that. Not really, it’s more that...” Albert drifted off, and Tickey could tell he had something on his mind that he wanted to say but didn’t know how to phrase. He waited and pretended to be focused on checking up on the food, but in the end Albert only told him not to worry about it and that he’d just been surprised.

It was the same blatant lie, but Tickey decided not to push it. If it was just that Albert didn’t like being touchy-feely in public, he could live with it. If it was something more, he didn’t need to know.

“I’m not sure the food goes with the wine you brought,” he said to give them something else to talk about.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m not picky about that.”

“Speak for yourself. It’s a waste of good wine. Let’s open something I already have here instead.”

Albert came over to see what Tickey was suggesting and smiled knowingly. “Oh, I see. You’re keeping the good bottle for yourself and treating me to the cheapest one you can get at the grocery store.”

“I’m keeping it for next time when I know to make something that deserves it.”

“The food is not the reason I came here, but alright.”

Albert was interested in his cameras and lenses and didn’t mind when Tickey said he wasn’t going to let him touch the more expensive ones. It was a point in his favor, as Tickey remembered one guy who’d stormed off and slammed the door because “he knew what he was doing”.

“If you ever need good photos of yourself, I’ll give you a discount,” he said.

“No, thanks. I don’t like having my pictures taken. It’s annoying enough I can’t say no at press conferences.”

“Does that mean you’ll never send me nudes?”

“How dumb do you think I am? You’ll never get a single one.”

“Too bad, but I guess I don’t need them as long as I have the real thing. Do you want to spend the night?” Tickey asked.

“If you’re offering, but I have to leave early.”

“That’s okay. I can just go back to bed after you’re gone.”

“One of the perks of getting to decide your own hours, I guess.”

“One of the few,” Tickey said. He finished setting the table, a little annoyed by how clear it was that none of the utensils matched. He’d never bothered to buy a full set of anything but just grabbed things when he needed them. It was convenient, but sometimes he felt he was getting too old for that. “But I’ve been thinking I might be willing to exchange it for a regular paycheck in a few years.”

Albert glanced at him as he was opening the bottle. “Do you travel a lot for work, or was last week an exception?”

“Not as much as I’d like. There are a lot of places I want to visit, but not a lot of opportunities. What about you? You ever go on interesting vacations?”

“Not anymore. I’ve had my fill.”

Tickey remembered him mentioning that he’d lived out of his car for a while in the past. Maybe he’d gone on a roadtrip through Europe, as lots of people liked to do. He’d talked about the same idea with his friends sometimes, but something had always come in the way, and now most of them were past that stage in life. Going alone didn’t interest him.

When he asked Albert about where he’d been, he wasn’t expecting the list of far-away places he got. There was no rhyme or reason to the countries he named. Peru, Malaysia and Egypt were just the start.

“If you’ve been to places like that, show me some photos,” he said.

“You’re the photographer, not me.”

“Everyone takes holiday photos!”

“And you seriously want me to show them to you?”

“Yeah, or I won’t believe you. You’re just trying to make yourself sound interesting.”

“I really don’t have many photos, especially ones of famous landmarks. I guess you’ll just have to think I’m a liar.”

“Come on. Not even souvenirs? Little fridge magnets?”

Albert smiled at him over his wine glass. Tickey knew he was enjoying a private joke again and threw up his hands in defeat.

“Fine, be like that. Keep your secrets.” 

He’d make him come undone later and enjoy that as his little revenge.

***

Tickey didn’t know what time it was when he felt the body by his side move and get out of bed, but it was too early to be awake. He turned his head so he could watch Albert with half-closed eyes, but he never switched on the light, so all he could see was his silhouette against the pale glow of the street lamps outside. Tickey’s apartment had no balcony, but he’d shown Albert which window to open if he wanted to have a smoke.

It took him a couple of moments to realize that it was still so dark outside that it couldn’t be time for Albert to leave. Had he really gotten up just for a cigarette? And was he coming back? His feet would be cold after walking on the bare floor, and Tickey wasn’t looking forward to having them back in bed.

He was about to roll over and wrap the duvet so tightly around himself that Albert would have to fight him to get back under it, but then Albert turned to stare at him. Had it been in the morning, Tickey might have felt flattered, but right now there wasn’t enough light for Albert to see more than his vague shape in bed. He probably hadn’t even realized he was awake.

The first thought that Tickey’s tired mind came up with was that he’d invited a serial killer into his home. Then he realized it couldn’t be. Not because he thought Albert wasn’t capable of it - to be honest, he kind of had that smile that Tickey imagined all serial killers did, _and_ he was into sadistic gadgets - but because if there was someone sleeping with men and then killing them, it would have made the rounds. He’d have heard about it.

But every killer has to start somewhere, he thought next. For some reason, it was hilarious, and he couldn’t help but laugh into his pillow.

“What?” Albert asked.

“Don’t just stand there and stare at people in the dark. You’re creeping me out. You could kill me.”

“You talk nonsense when you’re half asleep.” Albert put out his cigarette and closed the window. The sounds of the night outside had been so minimal that Tickey hadn’t even noticed them, but their disappearance made the room eerily silent.

“I’m awake,” he said and began to sit up.

“Then go back to sleep. I’ll get dressed and head out.”

“What? It’s... ” Tickey reached for his phone and squinted his eyes against the light as he checked the time. “Three in the morning! Where do you have to be at this hour?”

“I want to get some things done at home before I go to work. I’ll call you.”

“Oh, come on. That’s cold,” Tickey whined and fell back on the bed. 

He tried to listen as Albert gathered his things in the dark. Had he not just talked to him, it would have been easy to think he was already gone. Tickey always bumped into things when he was trying to slip away, but Albert moved like a cat and made no sound.

He didn’t know if he fell asleep before Albert left, or if he just didn’t hear the door, but when he woke up in the morning, he had no memory of him going out. Tickey stayed in bed for a while, enjoying the pleasant, heavy feeling in his muscles and thought back to what had been a pretty good night.

His morning got even better when he remembered that they’d done the dishes together, so his kitchen wasn’t the usual mess. He made coffee for breakfast and decided to get good beans the next time he went to the store, just in case Albert ever wanted to stay until dawn.

***

The next few days were busy, and Tickey didn’t find a lot of time to even think about Albert. It seemed to be the same for him as he never contacted him, not even to say hello. Almost two weeks had passed when Tickey found a bag of top quality coffee beans stashed behind two varieties of tea. He’d gotten them the very morning he’d last seen Albert, too excited to wait for a real reason to go to the store, then completely forgotten about them.

That’s how it often went with him, he thought as he turned the bag over in his hands and tried not to recall how expensive it’d been. He was so eager in the beginning, but he lost interest quickly if nothing new happened.

One of his friends had asked if he’d like to meet someone he knew, and Tickey had realized he and Albert hadn’t talked about whether it was okay to see other people. After two weeks of no contact, did he even have to ask, or was it safe to assume their fling was over?

The guy his friend wanted to introduce to him was absolutely his type. His Instragram was full of photos of him hiking and posing with a mountain bike. Tickey wanted to see what was under those clothes.

Should he call it off with Albert? He didn’t have any social media presence. How was Tickey supposed to brag to his friends about his catch? Was he going to have to show them an article about money laundering in Le Parisien and say that hey, that’s my guy?

Then again, athletic types sometimes lived for nothing but their sport. Tickey wanted the fun of running his hands down someone else’s hard abs, but he had no interest in going out and getting sweaty alongside him. Plus, even if Albert was okay with them seeing others on the side, Tickey wasn’t sure if he was up for it. Seeing two people at the same time, even if casually, sounded like more work than an actual relationship with just one man.

He’d keep his options open for now, he decided and sent Albert a message about a lunch date some time that week. A reply came quickly, and he was happier about it than he’d expected. After some back and forth, it turned out the only day that worked for them both was Saturday. Tickey picked the place, a café close to a park where he went to take pictures of trees when he was feeling frustrated.

“You aren’t wearing a tie today,” was the first thing he said to him when he arrived. Albert’s jacket was a pale earthy color, almost the same as his hair. It had the effect of making him disappear into the scenery, but Tickey preferred it to the green from last time.

“I don’t really like ties, so I only wear them to work.”

“Aw, that’s one option off the list of easy birthday presents. I guess I’ll get you a mug.”

“It’s seven months until my birthday. Do your flings usually last that long?”

“No, that’d be a new record. I get bored easily.”

Albert said he didn’t have to be anywhere that day, so they could find something to do later if he wanted. There was an art gallery with a new exhibition event just around the corner. He suggested it casually like it had just popped into his mind, but Tickey was sure he’d looked it up beforehand. It was kind of cute.

He was starting to notice a pattern. Albert didn’t seem to like showing his interest in things and just stated it like any other fact. He didn’t hide it when he enjoyed something, but Tickey couldn’t shake the feeling that Albert was always carefully choosing what he let him know about him and his thoughts. He would have liked to see him smile and laugh more.

The gallery was on the smaller side, but there was enough of a crowd that Tickey guessed the event had to be of some note. Most of the art on display was paintings, but there were small sculptures and installations here and there on the floor as well. Tickey didn’t recognize any of the artists, neither their names nor the works, but that didn’t matter. The styles were all contemporary, and he couldn’t tell what was supposed to be in the pictures, but he liked the combination of colors and shapes. There were one or two that he might have liked on his wall, if he could ever drop half a year’s earnings on something in one go.

“Are you going to buy anything?” he asked.

“No, I just like to look. Buying art isn’t really my thing. Someone I know owns the gallery, so I thought I’d show my face.”

“You have prestigious friends. Are you going to introduce me?”

Albert chuckled and shot him an apologetic look. “Sorry, we aren’t really on talking terms anymore.”

Tickey turned around to take a look at the other people, but there were too many of them, and nobody was looking at them with recognition.

“You can’t leave it at that. Tell me more,” he said.

“I disappointed some people with my choice in career. I like to drop by sometimes to rub it in that I’m doing just fine.”

“Not that I don’t appreciate some good pettiness when it’s deserved, but wouldn’t it be more productive to just talk it over? Especially if this is about family.”

“No, I don’t think it’s worth it.”

“What did they want you to be instead?” Tickey asked, figuring that since Albert had been the one to bring this up, it was okay to pry.

Now Albert was smiling, but it was the self-satisfied smirk that made his face look like someone had cut it in half and then put it back together just a little wrong.

“Most of my family deals in art. Becoming a cop was practically betrayal.”

“Huh, interesting. Isn’t it usually the other way around so that someone escapes their parents’ plans of becoming a lawyer or a doctor to chase their dreams? Can you draw?”

“No. I was to get involved in the acquiring and selling of art. I’m pretty good at numbers.”

Tickey let out a thoughtful sound and looked at the painting in front of them, a splash of red on white and weird, twisted figures painted in quick strokes. The textures made him wish he could touch it.

“But that must have been years ago. Haven’t you ever thought about reaching out? I mean, isn’t it a shame to lose relationships like that?” Tickey felt a little rootless sometimes when he thought about his mother’s side of the family and how many people he had never gotten to know well, but at least he’d never been alone.

“It’s not as big a loss as you’re imagining. I’m much better off by myself.”

“And yet you still show up unannounced at their gallery openings.”

“That’s only because I enjoy being a little vindictive.”

“Yikes, I hope I won’t be on the receiving end of that when we decide to call this quits.”

“What? No, of course not. That’s completely different. It has to be personal to be satisfying.”

Tickey decided not to push the issue any further. He had some friends who’d turned their backs on their families, or been kicked out, and it wasn’t a fun subject. But that didn’t mean he forgot about it, and for the rest of their time at the gallery, he kept an eye on the other guests and not the paintings, hoping to spot some clue that’d help him further.

He didn’t start paying attention to anything else until he heard a crack at his feet. He stepped back and looked down to see a glass saucer, neatly split into three, and his shoe messy with cream. There were two champagne glasses next to it, one empty and one half full, the first displaying a large, red lipstick stain.

“Oh, shit,” he said and grabbed Albert by the arm. “I think I just broke something.”

“Looks like it. I’m sure someone will take it away.”

“But I’m going to have to pay for it, right? How much do you think it’s going to be?”

“Hm, I don’t know. They probably buy those in bulk for the buffet, so fifty cents at most, I guess? I don’t think anyone will care if we just walk away.”

“Huh, what do you -”

“Oh, no, Laura, I told you it was a bad idea!”

“Don’t blame me! How was I supposed to know some people can’t see where they’re going?”

Two women had reached them, and their loud voices made sure everyone noticed that something was going on. Tickey was ready to bolt, but he knew that would have only made the problem bigger.

“I’m really sorry! I wasn’t looking!”

One of the women, the shorter one with a nice bobcut, was quick to reassure him.

“It’s okay! It’s completely our fault for leaving them. We needed to go to the restroom, but there’s nowhere to set things aside here.”

“Yeah,” the other woman agreed, even if she still sounded mad. She picked up one of the glasses and emptied it with two gulps. “At least you didn’t knock over this.”

Tickey could practically hear the gears inside his head turn as he realized what an idiot he was. His face burned, and he was sure everyone could see it and guess what he’d been thinking. An older gentleman was looking right at them and smiling. Albert would never let him forget this.

He didn’t want to spend another moment before everyone’s eyes.

“Haha, yeah. I’ll take these out,” he said, knelt down to pick up the pieces of glass and fled not just the room but the entire gallery as quickly as he could without outright running. He felt tempted to throw the pieces into the first trash can he found, but his devotion to recycling properly just barely won, and he put them into his pocket instead.

His heart was no longer thumping in his ears when Albert reached him, but he felt twice the stupider for leaving him behind with no explanation.

“What was that?” Albert asked, and his voice was exasperated enough that Tickey was sure he hadn’t put two and two together. No wonder, since the whole thing was so ridiculous.

“I thought I stepped on an art installation,” he said.

“You… what?”

“I’ve seen art that was more random than that! Don’t laugh!”

Albert covered his mouth with his hand when the line of his lips began to tug upwards, but it did nothing to contain the mirth that was bubbling to the surface. His shoulders were shaking, and finally the laughter burst out of him.

“I said, don’t laugh at me! I hate feeling like an idiot!”

“I don’t think you’re an idiot. I just think it’s funny.” Albert lifted his glasses to his forehead to wipe at his eyes. He wasn’t lying, Tickey realized, as his amusement didn’t come with the serving of mockery that he’d expected.

“If the owner was watching, I bet that hasty exit ruined your petty act,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter. It’s been a long time since I’ve run out of an art gallery with anyone.”

The way Albert was looking at him made Tickey wonder if he’d kiss him right there and then. There was so much open affection in his eyes that he seemed like a different person. Tickey couldn’t understand where the change had come from, but he welcomed it. It was nice to feel wanted, especially after feeling so stupid a second ago.

They were closer to his place than Albert’s, so they took the underground and walked the rest of the way. It took only twenty minutes, but Tickey thought it was an eternity. He kept bumping his leg against Albert’s as they sat on the train, not daring to grab his hand again after what had happened at the restaurant but needing at least a little physical contact. Albert acted like he didn’t notice, but he couldn’t be that dumb.

It was kind of funny, Tickey thought as he unlocked the door and they stumbled inside. This was his third time sleeping with him, so it shouldn’t have felt like such an undiscovered thrill anymore. But in a lot of ways, this was more exciting than the first when all he’d cared about was having a good time with a stranger. Knowing what kind of wine Albert liked, what he thought about travelling, and what he sounded like when he was laughing were little things that had nothing to do with sex, but they worked as place markers that made it more fun to keep exploring what it was like to be with him.

They didn’t even make it to the bed before Tickey had his hands inside Albert’s shirt and was telling him to take off his jacket. Albert kissed him like he needed _him_ and not just to get off, and Tickey responded in kind.

“Does being stupid turn you on?” he asked afterwards as he was pouring them wine and trying to decide how much he wanted to drink in the middle of the day on a Saturday. It was the good bottle Albert had brought the other time. No decent food to go with it, but he guessed the great sex made up for it.

Albert was smoking out of the window and turned to look at him over his shoulder.

“What?”

“You were making bedroom eyes at me outside the gallery when I told you what happened. Is that your thing, like you want some dumb boytoy?”

“Of course not,” Albert said. He tossed his cigarette out the window, and Tickey decided to save the argument about that for later when he wasn’t feeling so mellow. 

Albert had left his glasses on Tickey’s desk. He looked older without them, maybe because Tickey could see his eyes so much better like this.

“What I like is when something spontaneous happens,” Albert said slowly. He walked over to lean against the kitchen counter, and Tickey moved one of the wine glasses closer to him. “I always plan everything right down to the smallest detail, but when I think about the times when I’ve enjoyed myself the most, there was always something that didn’t go according to plan. It seems I need someone to bring a little chaos into my life.”

So that was why he’d just gone along with him when he’d approached him at the park. Tickey guessed it had been too good to be true to think it was just because he was so hot.

“There was nothing spontaneous about what happened at the gallery. It was a stupid mistake,” he said.

“Makes no difference to me.” Albert took in a deep breath. “You can’t imagine how many details I have to control and know all the time, or everything I’m working towards could collapse. Today went differently than I imagined, and that’s enough for me.”

“Oh? So what did you think would happen today?”

“I was planning to take you back to my place after showing you around at the gallery.”

“And we came here instead. That doesn’t seem like a huge wrench in your plans. If it’s chaos you want, I can do plenty more.”

Albert tried his wine. “As long as it’s not to annoy me on purpose. Actually, now that I think about it, you haven’t made me mad even once yet.”

“What about when I called you an insufferable bastard?”

Tickey took Albert’s glass from his hand so he couldn’t buy time by drinking and finished it for him.

“Well?” he pressed.

“I wasn’t mad. But there was someone who used to say things like that to me all the time and knew exactly how to get under my skin.”

“Oh. Sorry. I didn’t want to remind you of a bad ex.”

“He wasn’t bad,” Albert said with a rueful smile, “we just weren’t good for each other.”

“And I make you think about him? Isn’t that kind of a bad basis for this whole thing?”

“You make me think about what I liked about him.”

It was an answer that was meant to reassure him, but Tickey felt a twinge in his gut anyway. It was annoying; he wasn’t usually that self-conscious. But it was like the good time he was having didn’t belong entirely to him anymore and he was just sitting in a seat that was still reserved for someone else.

He tried to brush the feeling off with a chuckle and leaned over to give Albert a kiss.

“Then it’s all good, isn’t it? We can play a little longer.”


End file.
